Tree-planting festival greens up localities

• Party, State leader launches Tet tree planting festival in Yen Bai
• Gold-plated orchid, apricot, and peach tree models attract customers for Tet
• HCM City to open book street on Tet holiday

In the central province of Quang Binh, local leaders and representatives of provincial departments and agencies planted 410 trees along Van Cao street in the downtown of Dong Hoi city after a launching ceremony.

Last year, Quang Binh managed to protect 539,853ha of natural and planted forest areas, while afforesting another 11,086ha.

The same day, at the Hung Kings Temple relic in the northern midland province of Phu Tho, a ceremony was held to launch the tree-planting festival, which is themed “Forever grateful to Uncle Ho” 

In 2019, Phu Tho plans to grow 463,000 trees in different areas and 858.5ha of concentrated forest areas.

The afforestation movement has helped improve locals’ awareness of forest protection in economic development. Currently, forests cover 39.5 percent of PhuTho, including 17,304ha of special-use forest, 33,474ha of protective forest, and 29,300ha of production forest.

In 2018 alone, Phu Tho planted 10,580ha of new production forests.

Also on February 11, the northern province of Ninh Binh organized a similar ceremony to launch the festival.

Earlier on February 10, the sixth day of Lunar New Year 2019, Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong launched the New Year Tree Planting Festival in Viet Cuong commune, Tran Yen district, the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai.

On November 28, 1959, President Ho Chi Minh wrote an article which was published on Nhan dan (People) newspaper, stressing the significance of tree planting to each person, each family and the entire nation. It has since become an annual custom each Lunar New Year in Vietnam.